Bear with me faithful readers as I combine two disparate strands of thought that sheds light on current events.

First strand: Everything in life is political. The differences are only in degrees. Second strand: Executives should never let lawyers drive policy matters.

Note the key words are political and policy, both having the Greek word polis as their roots. Too often the root word is interpreted narrowly to mean a city-state. Its larger meaning is community, people coming together to live in peace and harmony.

From that comes the need for laws to regulate human behavior, to protect the weak from predators, to seek the greatest good for the greatest number.

Unfortunately, we create myths that belie the above absolutes, such as the supposed separation of church and state. It is an ideal embedded in the Constitution. The reality is it does not reflect reality.

Incontestably, churches, because they are entities that help serve to regulate human behavior, are deeply involved in what ultimately are political issues and public policy matters. Even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints makes no bones about the spiritual and the temporal being combined, though it too pays lip- service to the notion of a church and state separation by claiming it doesn’t engage in partisan politicking.

Is there anyone walking who seriously believes the leadership of the LDS Church has not in a dozen ways quietly – and fully within its First Amendment rights to do so – lent indirect support to Mitt Romney’s campaign? Was last year’s national television ad campaign aimed at expanding America’s familiarity with the LDS Church a mere coincidence?

Get real.

What prompts this essay, though, is not the activities of the LDS Church on behalf of a favored son. Rather, it is the action of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane suing its long-time Spokane law firm for malpractice in representing the diocese both in settling a number of abuse-by-priest claims and in the resulting declaration of bankruptcy.

Some are shocked the diocese would turn on its long-time outside counsel, one of Spokane’s venerable, old law firms. Cynics are smiling at the actions of a corporation – which the diocese most assuredly is – with what they suspect is a bet Paine, Hamblen will settle out of court with its insurance company on the hook for perhaps half of the $12 million in damages sought.

Part of the escalating cost of health insurance is the high cost of malpractice insurance doctors and hospitals have to obtain in our highly litigious society. Now the ultimate irony is coming about: Law firms must obtain hefty malpractice insurance to protect themselves from unhappy clients.

It is the consumer, however, who pays in the end. Insurance premiums are cranked into an ever increasing hourly rate which, even in Spokane, averages $400 an hour.

The cynicism comes about when religious entities wrap themselves in piety and claim the high moral ground while acting in a political and or business-interest manner. The public rightly sees hypocrisy in such actions. No one should be surprised that it further undermines what little credibility the Spokane diocese possesses these days.

Fault both the diocese and its attorneys for not keeping their eyes on the diocesan mission. If there was an initial mistake, it goes to the second absolute postulated above, i.e., the executive, the Spokane bishop, William Skylstad (a personal friend), allowed lawyers to drive an issue that went above legal tactics. It breached the broader arena of the policy position a church is expected to understand.

Lawyers love to run things and to tell executives what they can and cannot do. They ought to tell their clients if and how they can legally do what they want to do.

In the case of the Spokane diocese, the initial error by its lawyers was convincing the bishop to go against his better instincts and invoke the statutes of limitations defense against many of the abuse claims. Rather than focus on what was right – in this case righting through an admission of guilt and making amends for the wrong that had been done – the diocese resorted to a legal defense that undercut its moral authority.

District Court Judge Kathleen O’Conner correctly handed the diocese its head on a platter. Even the Vatican’s chief legal authority, in a speech in France earlier in the decade, had called on bishops not to resort to legal legerdemain to escape responsibility for the sexual-abuse wrongs.

The result is further erosion of whatever moral authority the diocese has left. The rudder is again being held by different lawyers who counsel a questionable path to extract money from an insurance firm that otherwise would have to be hijacked from the faithful in the pews.

So the end justifying the means looks political and legalistic, doesn’t it?

"Essentially, I write in the margins of motherhood—and everything else—then I work these notes into a monthly column about what it’s like raising my two young boys. Are my columns funny? Are they serious? They don’t fit into any one box neatly. ... I’ve won awards for “best humorous column” though I actually write about subjects as light as bulimia, bullying, birthing plans and breastfeeding. But also bon-bons. And barf, and birthdays."
Raising the Hardy Boys: They Said There Would Be Bon-Bons. by Nathalie Hardy; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. 238 pages. Softcover. $15.95.Raising the Hardy Boys page.

"Not a day passes that I don’t think about Vietnam. Sometimes its an aroma or just hearing the Vietnamese accent of a store clerk that triggers a memory. Unlike all too many soldiers, I never had to fire a weapon in anger. Return to civilian life was easy, but even after all these years away from the Army and Vietnam I find the experience – and knowledge – continue to shape my life daily."

Many critics said it could not be done - and it often almost came undone. Now the Snake River Basin Adjudication is done, and that improbable story is told here by three dozen of the people most centrally involved with it - judges, attorneys, legislators, engineers, water managers, water users and others in the room when the decisions were made.Through the Waters: An Oral History of the Snake River Basin Adjudication. edited by the Idaho State Bar Water Law Section and Randy Stapilus; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. 300 pages. Softcover. $16.95.See the THROUGH THE WATERS page.

Oregon Governor Vic Atiyeh died on July 20, 2014; he was widely praised for steady leadership in difficult years. Writer Scott Jorgensen talks with Atiyeh and traces his background, and what others said about him. Conversations with Atiyeh. by W. Scott Jorgensen; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. 140 pages. Softcover. $14.95.The CONVERSATIONS WITH ATIYEH page.

"Salvation through public service and the purging of awful sights seen during 1500 Vietnam War helicopter rescue missions before an untimely death, as told by a devoted brother, leaves a reader pondering life's unfairness. A haunting read." Chris Carlson, Medimont Reflections. ". . . a vivid picture of his brother Jerry’s time as a Medivac pilot in Vietnam and contrasts it with the reality of the political system . . . through the lens of a blue-collar, working man made good." Mike Kennedy.One Flaming Hour: A memoir of Jerry Blackbird. by Mike Blackbird; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. 220 pages. Softcover. $15.95.See the ONE FLAMING HOUR page.

Back in Print!Frank Church was one of the leading figures in Idaho history, and one of the most important U.S. senators of the last century. From wilderness to Vietnam to investigating the CIA, Church led on a host of difficult issues. This, the one serious biography of Church originally published in 1994, is back in print by Ridenbaugh Press.Fighting the Odds: The Life of Senator Frank Church. LeRoy Ashby and Rod Gramer; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. 800 pages. Softcover. $24.95.See the FIGHTING THE ODDS page.

JOURNEY WEST

by Stephen HartgenThe personal story of the well-known editor, publisher and state legislator's travel west from Maine to Idaho. A well-written account for anyone interested in Idaho, journalism or politics.JOURNEY WEST: A memoir of journalism and politics, by Stephen Hartgen; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. $15.95, here or at Amazon.com (softcover)

NEW EDITIONSis the story of the Northwest's 226 general-circulation newspapers and where your newspaper is headed.New Editions: The Northwest's Newspapers as They Were, Are and Will Be. Steve Bagwell and Randy Stapilus; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. 324 pages. Softcover. (e-book ahead). $16.95.See the NEW EDITIONS page.

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THE OREGON POLITICALFIELD GUIDE 2014

The Field Guide is the reference for the year on Oregon politics - the people, the districts, the votes, the issues. Compiled by a long-time Northwest political writer and a Salem Statesman-Journal political reporter.OREGON POLITICAL FIELD GUIDE 2014, by Randy Stapilus and Hannah Hoffman; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. $15.95, available right here or through Amazon.com (softcover)

THE IDAHO POLITICALFIELD GUIDE 2014

by Randy Stapilus and Marty Trillhaase is the reference for the year on Idaho Politics - the people, the districts, the votes, the issues. Written by two of Idaho's most veteran politcal observers.IDAHO POLITICAL FIELD GUIDE 2014, by Randy Stapilus and Marty Trillhaase; Ridenbaugh Press, Carlton, Oregon. $15.95, available right here or through Amazon.com (softcover)

WITHOUT COMPROMISE is the story of the Idaho State Police, from barely-functioning motor vehicles and hardly-there roads to computer and biotechnology. Kelly Kast has spent years researching the history and interviewing scores of current and former state police, and has emerged with a detailed and engrossing story of Idaho. WITHOUT COMPROMISE page.

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The Old West saw few murder trials more spectacular or misunderstood than of "Diamondfield" Jack Davis. After years of brushes with the noose, Davis was pardoned - though many continued to believe him guilty. Max Black has spent years researching the Diamondfield saga and found startling new evidence never before uncovered - including the weapon and one of the bullets involved in the crime, and important documents - and now sets out the definitive story. Here too is Black's story - how he found key elements, presumed lost forever, of a fabulous Old West story. See the DIAMONDFIELD page for more.

Chris Carlson's Medimont Reflections is a followup on his biography of former Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus. This one expands the view, bringing in Carlson's take on Idaho politics, the Northwest energy planning council, environmental issues and much more. The Idaho Statesman: "a pull-back-the-curtain account of his 40 years as a player in public life in Idaho." Available here: $15.95 plus shipping.See the Medimont Reflections page

NOW IN KINDLE
&nbspIdaho 100, about the 100 most influential people ever in Idaho, by Randy Stapilus and Martin Peterson is now available. This is the book about to become the talk of the state - who really made Idaho the way it is? NOW AN E-BOOK AVAILABLE THROUGH KINDLE for just $2.99. Or, only $15.95 plus shipping.
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WA blogs

Water rights and water wars: They’re not just a western movie any more. The Water Gates reviews water supplies, uses and rights to use water in all 50 states.242 pages, available from Ridenbaugh Press, $15.95

At a time when Americans were only exploring what are now western states, William Craig tried to broker peace between native Nez Perces and newcomers from the East. 15 years in the making, this is one of the most dramatic stories of early Northwest history. 242 pages, available from Ridenbaugh Press, $15.95

The Snake River Basin Adjudication is one of the largest water adjudications the United States has ever seen, and it may be the most successful. Here's how it happened, from the pages of the SRBA Digest, for 16 years the independent source.